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Foundation focuses on sports, disabilities

By Zackary Al-KhateebSpecial to The Tuscaloosa News

Published: Sunday, February 10, 2013 at 3:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Saturday, February 9, 2013 at 11:31 p.m.

The Lakeshore Foundation, a Birmingham-based nonprofit organization specializing in providing fitness, recreation and athletic opportunities to people with physical disabilities, seeks to advise Alabama educators in the wake of a new federal guideline telling schools to provide equal opportunities in athletics for all students.

The directive, issued by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights on Jan. 25, specifically advises schools to provide an equal opportunity for students with disabilities to join athletic teams. If the school cannot do so without fundamentally changing the way the sport is played, it will be expected to provide other athletic opportunities for those students.

That is where the Lakeshore Foundation comes in. Apart from its other services, it already has a history of working with schools on how to accommodate student-athletes with disabilities, and has traveled to schools advising students, parents and teachers on opportunities for disability sports. Jeff Underwood, president of the Lakeshore Foundation, said educating schools on the federal guidelines won’t be anything new.

“We want to be a resource to help people understand what it means,” Underwood said, “and then to figure out a way to provide those students with opportunities, for students with disabilities, to be involved and benefits from sports.”

The Alabama High School Athletic Association is taking a proactive approach to this education as well: It has already contacted the Lakeshore Foundation and invited it to take part in its annual track and field clinic this summer. Underwood said it will provide an opportunity to help explain what the directive “is and is not,” while providing specific examples of how to accommodate student-athletes with disabilities.

Underwood said the Lakeshore Foundation has had a good partnership with the AHSAA, and has engaged in a dialogue with executive director Steve Savarese.

Savarese issued a statement on the guidelines after they were released.

“The AHSAA is mindful of the benefits derived from education-based athletics for all children, and we want to continue to do all we can to work with our schools and encourage them to include disabled students whenever possible,” Savarese said in the statement. “We fully understand the positive benefits school athletic programs have for disabled students.”

Savarese said the AHSAA supports the National Federation of State High School Association’s stance on the guidelines. The national federation supports belief in the values of participation of all students and the provision of programs for students with disabilities to add value to their educational experiences. The NFHS and member state associations have pledged to work with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights to “enhance participation opportunities for all students, including those with disabilities.”

Underwood said the state has been receptive to student-athletes with disabilities, and believes the directive will only help it foster that inclusiveness.

“I think high school athletics in Alabama will become more inclusive,” Underwood said. “It shouldn’t work to the detriment of any athletic program in the state of Alabama. There’s really no reason for it to hurt anybody or anything.”

Underwood said the only way to measure the success of the directive will be to monitor participation by student-athletes with disabilities.

“I don’t really see any reason why this shouldn’t be successful,” Underwood said. “I don’t think there’s much of a downside to this.”

<p>The Lakeshore Foundation, a Birmingham-based nonprofit organization specializing in providing fitness, recreation and athletic opportunities to people with physical disabilities, seeks to advise Alabama educators in the wake of a new federal guideline telling schools to provide equal opportunities in athletics for all students.</p><p>The directive, issued by the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights on Jan. 25, specifically advises schools to provide an equal opportunity for students with disabilities to join athletic teams. If the school cannot do so without fundamentally changing the way the sport is played, it will be expected to provide other athletic opportunities for those students.</p><p>That is where the Lakeshore Foundation comes in. Apart from its other services, it already has a history of working with schools on how to accommodate student-athletes with disabilities, and has traveled to schools advising students, parents and teachers on opportunities for disability sports. Jeff Underwood, president of the Lakeshore Foundation, said educating schools on the federal guidelines won't be anything new.</p><p>“We want to be a resource to help people understand what it means,” Underwood said, “and then to figure out a way to provide those students with opportunities, for students with disabilities, to be involved and benefits from sports.”</p><p>The Alabama High School Athletic Association is taking a proactive approach to this education as well: It has already contacted the Lakeshore Foundation and invited it to take part in its annual track and field clinic this summer. Underwood said it will provide an opportunity to help explain what the directive “is and is not,” while providing specific examples of how to accommodate student-athletes with disabilities.</p><p>Underwood said the Lakeshore Foundation has had a good partnership with the AHSAA, and has engaged in a dialogue with executive director Steve Savarese.</p><p>Savarese issued a statement on the guidelines after they were released.</p><p>“The AHSAA is mindful of the benefits derived from education-based athletics for all children, and we want to continue to do all we can to work with our schools and encourage them to include disabled students whenever possible,” Savarese said in the statement. “We fully understand the positive benefits school athletic programs have for disabled students.”</p><p>Savarese said the AHSAA supports the National Federation of State High School Association's stance on the guidelines. The national federation supports belief in the values of participation of all students and the provision of programs for students with disabilities to add value to their educational experiences. The NFHS and member state associations have pledged to work with the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights to “enhance participation opportunities for all students, including those with disabilities.”</p><p>Underwood said the state has been receptive to student-athletes with disabilities, and believes the directive will only help it foster that inclusiveness.</p><p>“I think high school athletics in Alabama will become more inclusive,” Underwood said. “It shouldn't work to the detriment of any athletic program in the state of Alabama. There's really no reason for it to hurt anybody or anything.”</p><p>Underwood said the only way to measure the success of the directive will be to monitor participation by student-athletes with disabilities.</p><p>“I don't really see any reason why this shouldn't be successful,” Underwood said. “I don't think there's much of a downside to this.”</p>